A record-breaking settlement has been reached between the American Medical Association, et al. and UnitedHealth Group - the nation’s largest health insurer - for 15 years of artificially low payments for out-of-network services. More than $350 million has been allocated to compensate impacted providers and subscribers, including doctors of chiropractic and their patients, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Affected providers and subscribers should have received mailings from UnitedHealth Group that include an overview of the settlement, instructions for filing a claim for payment and proof of claim forms. Claims for payment must be filed by Oct. 5, 2010. Anyone filing objections to the settlement or opting out of the settlement must do so by July 27, 2010. Evidence of UnitedHealth Group’s improper business practices was confirmed after an investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over allegations that a database operated by Ingenix, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, intentionally skewed “usual and customary” rates downward through faulty data collection, poor pooling procedures and the lack of audits. The Attorney General found that having a health insurer determine the “usual and customary” rate – a large portion of which the insurer then reimburses – creates an incentive for the insurer to manipulate the rate downward. The creation of a new database, independently maintained by a nonprofit organization, is designed to remove this conflict of interest. The settlement will be finalized at the United States Courthouse, United States District for the Southern District of New York on Sept. 13, 2010. For more information about this settlement, the New York State Attorney General has made background information about the investigation and the settlement available online. In addition, Berdon Claims Administration LLC and the American Medical Association (AMA) have answers to frequently asked questions, detailed “next steps” and links to more information on their Web sites. Finally, AMA has developed a step-by-step guide for providers who are looking to maximize their recovery from the settlement. ACA urges anyone with legal questions about the settlement to consult a local attorney. ACA cannot provide legal advice. ACA is the largest chiropractic organization in the United States, representing the interests of more than 15,000 doctors of chiropractic and their patients.

Limited physical activity is one of the main health concerns for the elderly. The National Institutes of Health report that moderate exercise and physical activity can improve the health of seniors who are frail, or who have diseases associated with aging. However, exercise alone won’t necessarily address the spinal problems which seniors commonly experience. This is a concern as spinal problems can cause pain and subsequent decline in physical function in older adults. A new study being conducted at the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies at Northwestern Health Sciences University is examining how exercise and chiropractic care can impact the overall health and spinal function of seniors. The University received nearly $1.6 million in federal funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct the study. The study is a randomized clinical trial which will assess the combination of chiropractic management and exercise therapy. Participants must be 65 years of age and older with chronic spine problems. The study is unique in that it is one of the first to assess the effects of long-term chiropractic management on disability, pain, functional capacity, and balance in seniors The study will also measure differences between groups in patient-reported general health, improvement, and medication use. Recruitment for the study began at the beginning of 2010, and will continue for the next three years. The study will significantly contribute to the evidence base of conservative, non-drug treatments that address disability and pain in seniors with spinal problems. According to Michele Maiers, DC, associate dean of research and knowledge transfer at Northwestern, “Identifying effective therapies has tremendous potential to substantially improve the function, quality of life and overall health of the aging population.” The study is aligned with the Healthy People 2010 goals of reducing activity limitation due to chronic back conditions, as well as increasing physical activity and fitness in adults.

A recent Norway study indicates that in both men and women obesity is strongly associated with chronic low back pain. The increased weight of being obese wreaks havoc on the spinal tissues that are placed under constant and increased stress due to the additional weight. Fortunately, most obesity is treatable and with loss of the additional weight, many experience significant improvements in their back pain complaints, not to mention the improvement or reversal of many other related health conditions. Fortunately, chiropractic care can still help before the additional weight comes off, or, if the additional weight cannot be lost. Chiropractors not only provide relief for many experiencing back pain due to obesity, but some additionally offer treatment programs directed at weight loss and strategies to improve one’s overall health. If you’ve got extra pounds to lose and are suffering from back problems, you deserve an opportunity to try chiropractic care!

New research again confirms the motion benefits of chiropractic care. In a recent study, researchers found that chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine (neck) resulted in an increased motion and improved performance of the cervical spine. These improvements were recorded after just one cervical adjustment. So how does all this work? Chiropractic manipulations / adjustments not only introduce motion into the joints, they positively stimulate the nervous system related to those joints. This gentle and skillfully applied motion, whether through the hands or use of an instrument, and nervous system activation results in the movement of nourishing fluid into the joint, a reduction in joint adhesions as well as an activation in the nerves surrounding the joints. All in all, this has been shown to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, and as this study has shown, improve motion and overall joint performance.